


Unsolicited Advice

by inmyriadbits



Category: Life (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 19:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5468258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmyriadbits/pseuds/inmyriadbits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dani is taking the test for lieutenant. Everyone's got an opinion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unsolicited Advice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DesireeArmfeldt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesireeArmfeldt/gifts).



Tidwell is annoying the crap out of her, and they’re not even still dating. Orgasms made him slightly easier to tolerate.

“It’s really all about buzzwords, you know, like “service,” and “safety,” and—”

“Captain,” Dani interrupts. “While I appreciate your support for this promotion, in the interest of safety and public service, I would very much like you to stop talking about the lieutenant exam interview while we’re _under fire_.”

A bullet ricochets off the front bumper, like punctuation.

Tidwell looks at her. “You know, I think you’ll do fine.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

* * *

Dani’s phone rings. “Reese,” she answers, contemplating a crime scene photo.

“I hear you’re going for lieutenant,” says a familiar voice.

Karen Davis. Christ, she should’ve told Tidwell to keep his trap shut. “You know, I’ve been getting a lot of that lately,” Dani says. “You’d think the LAPD would have something better to talk about.”

“I'm just calling to say, I’m seeing Watson tomorrow for lunch. I’ll put in a good word for you.”

Dani dropped her face into her hand and rubbed at her forehead. “Look, I appreciate it, but...just don’t, okay?”

Karen is silent for a long moment. “No favors for Jack Reese’s kid, huh.”

“C’mon, LT, you know me. If I don’t get this by myself, I’ll question it all the way down the line. So no favors, no good words, none of it. Please.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t. Not if you don’t want me to. But I reserve the right to talk you up, if someone asks.”

Dani smiles at that. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”

“Damn straight.”

Dani just sits for a minute, listening to the friendly silence of the phone line. “Look...I need to get back to work. We’re heading out to question a suspect in a bit, I gotta get ready.”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course. Hey, Dani?”

“What?”

“I think you’ll make an excellent lieutenant. I’m real proud of you.”

Dani swallows. “Thanks. I’ll talk to you later,” and hangs up.

* * *

“I think I’ll start a pool,” Bobby says, matching pace with Dani as she walks down the hallway.

“I really don’t wanna know,” Dani says, paging through her file in search of the phone list she needs.

“Yeah, see, I’m thinkin' at least three people are going to develop embarrassing crushes on you, your first year as lieutenant,” Bobby continues, ignoring her. 

Dani stops walking. Bobby stops too. Dani reminds herself that Bobby helped save her life before speaking.

"Okay, first? I’m not a lieutenant yet. And second: if you ever make that pool, horrible things will happen to you.”

“Like what?” Bobby asks, half-smiling in readiness for the laugh.

“Do you really think I’d give you a chance to see it coming?” Dani says. 

Bobby just grins at her. “Oh yeah. At _least_ three.”

Dani stalks off. 

* * *

Dani startles slightly when a large binder is placed on her desk. It lands with a careful _thump_.

She looks up, and somehow, unsurprisingly, it's Seever. She looks very earnest. And professional. And perky.

"It's my study guide for the lieutenant's test," Seever says. "I've also emailed you the PDF, if you prefer digital."

"I...didn't know you'd ever gone for lieutenant."

"Oh, no, this is just advance prep. I've been building it for a while," Seever says, like _of course_ , that's a thing normal people do. She modestly adds, "It's still in progress, but it should be useful. And really I'd appreciate your feedback afterward. There's nothing like a first-hand account for constructing a good study guide."

"Right. Sure," Dani says.

"Great! Good luck, Detective Reese."

"Thank you, Detective Seever."

Dani looks at the binder. It's as thick as her forearm, and ridged with colored divider tabs. She is just about to poke the corner with a finger — to check the weight of the thing — when a rubber-banded stack of index cards drops down next to it.

"Almost forgot the flashcards!" Seever says, and speeds off again.

Flashcards. Of course.

* * *

“Oh, I— Detective Reese,” Ted says, behind her.

Dani tries to shove the flashcards back into her bag on the kitchen island. She stops when Ted asks, “Studying?”

"Lieutenant's exam," she says forbiddingly.

"Oh. Right. Charlie mentioned something." Ted moves his hand vaguely. Unexpectedly, he adds, "Is there an interview?"

Dani blinks. "Yeah, that's a big part."

"I used to be great at interviews," Ted sighs. He's a bit of an Eeyore, Dani thinks. "I imagine interviews in the financial world are a bit different than the LAPD, though."

"Not as much as you'd probably think," Dani says.

"No," Ted observes thoughtfully. "I guess not." He turns to leave the kitchen. Dani turns back to the flashcards, stacking them more carefully.

"Chocolate," Ted says. He's standing half-through the doorway. "It's got caffeine, sugar, makes your brain happy.... I've found it good prep for an interview."

"O...kay," Dani says.

Ted does a sort of awkward head-duck, and waves on his way out the door.

* * *

Charlie gives her a ride on test day, because their case unexpectedly breaks and they’re arresting people up to the last minute. She lets him drive, and he’s quiet (well, quiet for him — he still manages to share two Zen principles and a weird story about a frog by the time they arrive).

Dani eats the last of her Snickers and crumples the wrapper just as Charlie pulls to the curb. “No advice to offer? Everyone else seems to think I need it.”

“If I told you something to do and you did it, wouldn’t that just be you doing what I would do? And _you’re_ going to be the one being a lieutenant, it doesn’t make sense to have what I would do doing your job.“

He looks pleased with himself.

Dani rolls her eyes. “Okay, I’m just going to forget I asked that. And now I’m going inside.”

She's standing on the sidewalk in the sunlight when he rolls down the window and leans over the passenger’s seat to meet her eyes.

“Hey, Reese?”

“What?”

“You won’t need it, but — good luck,” Charlie says.

“Thanks, Crews,” Dani says, and smiles back.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to Spatz!


End file.
